1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper money input and output device which is capable of utilizing banknotes which have been inputted as banknotes for being outputted, and particularly relates to making such a device more compact.
Priority is claimed on Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-186653, filed Jun. 27, 2005 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2006-84615, filed Mar. 27, 2006, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional paper money input and output device, capable of utilizing banknotes which have been inputted as money for being outputted, is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication, No. 2003-288630. In this paper money input and output device, during in-payment, paper money is paid in in a standing state, with its short side direction vertical, and moreover with its long side direction coinciding with the depth direction of the device. While still in a standing state, the paper money is drawn out along the direction of its long side, thus conveyed and identified, and then stored in a recirculation case or in a collection case, still in a state in which its long side direction coincides with the depth direction of the device. Furthermore, paper money is paid out to a money output unit from the recirculation cases, or is eliminated to a reject case or to a collection case, in a state with its long side direction coinciding with the depth direction of the device.
With this paper money input and output device, along with providing the money input unit, the money output unit, the reject case, and the collection case in a stacked state in the widthwise direction on the front surface side of the device body, a plurality of recirculation cases are provided in a stacked state on the rear surface side of the device body; and a cylindrical tubular drum type conveyance unit, which performs input and output of paper money between the various sections of the device, is provided at an intermediate portion in the fore and aft direction of the device body. Due to this, it is possible to restrict the height and the width of the device, so that it is possible to make it more compact; for example, it can be applied as a paper money input and output device in the vicinity of a POS register.
However, the above-described paper money input and output device uses a drum type conveyance unit, the diameter of which is a value determined by the maximum length of the paper money. Furthermore, since a certain space is required around the periphery of the drum type conveyance unit for locating a plurality of separation members, and for arranging the branched conveyance paths, there has, in particular, been the problem that it has not been possible sufficiently to enhance the compactness of the device body in its depth direction, which is the direction which links the money input unit, the money output unit, the reject case and the collection case, the drum type conveyance unit, and the plurality of recirculation cases. It should be understood that, in the case of the above described paper money input and output device, a replenishment case for replenishing the paper money in the device may also serve as a collection case, or may be provided as a combined recovery and replenishment case.
Furthermore, since the branching conveyance units around the periphery of the drum type conveyance unit extend outwards and diverge at various different angular directions, this can also become a cause for the occurrence of jamming during conveyance of the paper money.